Page 167 of One Nightstand With My Ex's Uncle

JOHN’S POV.

I looked at him, and saw the glee spark in his eyes, followed by the content smile.

“Once more, enjoy your meal.” I stressed. There was no way I was about to give him the satisfaction of him knowing he had managed to get me curious, and a little anxious.

“Aren’t you curious to know what it is?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Not at all. Enjoy your meal.” I replied, and left him sitting there. As I walked away, I felt completely uneasy. I knew Lopez wasn’t just a businessman as he was known in his city. He definitely had some shady business going on. However, I wasn’t going to give him his satisfaction just yet.

In fact, if whatever he took was not going to bring more money to me, then he could take it because I could not see myself dropping two hundred, and fifty million dollars. It was just way too much. My company would collapse.

Back in my office, I explained everything that happened to Landon and Rebal, and they sat with me.

“It can’t possibly be.” Landon said.

“Maybe he’s just goading you on. He can’t really have taken anything from you. Think about it. There’s nothing you actually hold dear to you. Is there? Is there a million dollar gem you hold, or some magical asset that could probably make you panic?” Rebal asked.

“You’re quite right. My money and companies are intact. All my important documents are right in this office, in a place he cannot even imagine. So what else could he have taken? He can keep whatever he has taken.” I said, feeling lighter.

“Now, you should think of the leaked video.” Landon reminded me.

“Gosh.” I sighed. I had completely forgotten all about that. “What do you suggest we do?”

“Here.” Rebal said, placing a camera on my table.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Make a video, and tell everyone you’re not the man in the video. I checked the video so many times, and luckily, it was taken from an angle where your face was hidden. The only thing is that it’s your clothes, and your physique, which everyone can recognize.

“So, what’s the point?” I asked.

“He’ll look like the fool if he goes out saying he’s not the one when everyone clearly recognizes him. What happens if the employees claim he was the one? Then, he comes out looking worse.” Landon scolded, and I shook my head. It was why I hired them both.

They had too many places where they were lacking, so they did a good job of complementing each other. Otherwise, I couldn’t possibly have made it that far without Katie sorting a thousand things for me.

“I’m guessing the best we can do is an apology video, and then we compensate the employee you hit, so she wouldn’t press charges.” Landon suggested.

“Yeah, do that.” I said, getting to my feet.

“Where are you going, sir?” Rebal asked.

“Home.”

“But it’s still…” Landon was saying, but I already slammed the door.

~

When I got home, I met Dad speaking with Lady Genevieve outside.

“Great!” He exclaimed when he saw me.

He strode to me angrily, but I stood my ground. I had grown too much to be scared of him. I had become a man, and I had to let him know he could no longer intimidate me.

He landed a slap on my face, and I gritted my teeth.

“What in the world’s name are you doing!

? Hitting an employee?? A female at that!

And you think you’ll succeed me!? Never!

I’m giving you just a month to find Lucas, and bring him home.

Nothing more than a month, or you’ll experience the worst I can do.

” He bellowed, staring at me with wide eyes that looked like they wanted to pop.

“How many times do I have to tell you, dad? I don’t know where Lucas is. He was taken to a special care center. Is it my job to know where it is or what he’s doing? Absolutely no. When he’s well enough, he’ll be released, and he’ll return home.”

He raised his hand to hit me again, but stopped halfway, and kicked me instead.

“You’re not my son.” He spat, and walked away. Aunt Genevieve looked at me for while, with pity in her eyes, before leaving, and I scoffed. Who was she pitying? The person she ought to pity was her little brother, who would be locked up forever in his little prison. Not me.

Never would I open my lips to tell them where he was.

Striding to the house, I tried to ignore the sting of Dad’s slap. All he ever cared about was his reputation. From the beginning, till the current moment. He cared only about what everyone else thought about the family.

I went straight to my room, and stayed there till evening, thinking of the event of the day, until I decided I would just make Emily suffer for it.

Getting out of my room, I made my way to hers, and pushed the door open.

“Em…”

Silence greeted me instead, and the whole place just had a deserted feel. Emily was usually at her desk at that time, writing or getting lost in a novel. Then she’d look up with her dry eyes, and accept whatever I did to her.

I retraced my steps to the kitchen, where the maids were preparing dinner instead of Emily.

“What’s this?” I asked irritated. “Why are you the ones cooking? Where’s Emily? Is she actually shirking her duty?” I asked, and they turned to me, trembling.

“Alpha John.” Kaye said, standing in front of the others. She held her trembling arms, and tried to look into my eyes.

“Speak.” I blurted out, and she jumped.

“Emily went out since morning, and hasn’t returned.”

“The guards?” I asked.

“They haven’t returned either.” She replied, and I picked a dish, hurling it at her. She screamed, and stepped back hurriedly, crying.

There was no denying it. Emily had run away. She had run! And my men no doubt couldn’t return without her, for fear of what I might do to them.

The last time she had gone to see Dahlia, and they had returned without her, I had made them draw my name into each other’s backs with knives.

“She dares to run away. Well, when I find her…”

“Alpha John.” One of the maids called timidly.

“What!”

“She… she got a call… I…I heard her telling her mom that she was having an incoming call. She mentioned Lennie’s street, and went off.” She said, and a bolt of panic ran through me.

What if she didn’t run? What if…?

I turned, and dashed up the stairs immediately, feeling my heart in my throat.

Snatching my phone on my desk, I searched for Lopez’s number on my phone, until I got it, and when I did, I dialed multiple times until he picked.

“John.” He called, with a laugh.

“Where is my wife!?”

“I thought you didn’t care. You didn’t want to know what I took earlier.”

“Lopez! My wife. Where is she?”

“I plan to pull her apart, lungs, intestines and all. It would be worth two hundred and fifty million dollars. Then I will splay her organs on your roof, and blame her death on you.” He drawled.

My insides turned cold.